Little Lamb Bamboo

This is another of the nappies we have had from early on, unlike the previous review (Bumgenius) this is a sized two part nappy, which means you have to buy different sizes as your child grows and also need more than just the nappy, you need a cover for it as well.

Being a man this confused me slightly, why have two (or more) parts to the nappy and have it sized so it only fits a certain weight range, surely this cannot be cost effective, but it appears from a cost point of view they are cheaper and because the cover part can be used on more than one it means you can have less of them (the cover part that is).

Ok so these are known as two part nappies, because you have more than one part to it, you have the nappy part itself (which in this case is made from bamboo) and you have the cover part, known as a wrap, still unsure as to why these can’t be fixed together, but I’m sure there is a good reason (answers on a postcard).  Too me it seemed a bit of a faff to start off with, first you put the nappy on, then you put the wrap on, it just felt like putting two nappies on and I really didn’t see the reason or benefit to it, but there is.

They are less likely to leak than pocket nappies!! And therefore a set-up like this (nappy and wrap) is better to use overnight, which is exactly what we did with this one.

As the nappy is made from bamboo it is more absorbent than other material such as microfibre, but this has its drawbacks, it also means it takes longer to dry.  One of the other positives I could see was the softness, these are very soft so I can imagine they are very comfortable to wear, although have not tried it myself (got a few years before I have to start that), you can also add or remove extra absorbent bits as necessary depending on the child.

Some Pros – Absorbent, Soft, Relatively Cheap

Some Cons – Long Drying Time, A Bit Complicated (to start with)

One thing I did notice, was that man child appeared to have a huge butt when wearing these, almost as if he should have been shaking it in some kind of HipHop music video, this concerned me as to whether it would restrict movement or not, then I remembered that he is a non mobile baby who is going nowhere so what does it matter!!

These are available in three sizes and we have used all three (with a one size wrap to keep costs down) and even though they still seem bulky compared to some other types, man child has not had his mobility affected in any way, in fact I would say these have helped especially when he has been falling on his butt as they have cushioned the fall.

So would I recommend these to other blokes to use on their child, yes I would, but would advise practicing on a soft toy or similar before embarking on fitting to the real thing, that way you will know what you are doing in advance and have it all laid out and ready.

Some Places to Buy

If you are reading this, the chances are you are interested in the whole cloth nappy thing, and may be looking to buy some.  Below are a few stores that me and my wife have used to buy nappies.......

BabyBots
Millies Nappies
Nappyzone 
Softbots
Stratford Nappies


the above is in alphabetical order and are the ones we use most, as they come to me or as I stumble across emails I shall add more

The BumGenius V3

Like many people this was the first nappy that we were directed towards, BumGenius nappies were and still are very very popular although this particular model has been superseded by the v4.

Although this was the first Cloth nappy we bought, it was not the first one we used, details of that one will come later.

It may seem a bit pointless me reviewing a nappy that has been discontinued, but there are still places that sell them (surprisingly) and you can always pick them up pre-loved (that's used to you and me).

So onto the nappy, well its a pocket nappy made from a layer of Polyurethane Laminate (PUL), thats the waterproof bit on the outside and a suede cloth inner, it has elasticated legs and velcro fastening (sometimes referred to as applix fastening).  The absorbent part of the nappy is inserted via a hole in the back between the PUL and suedecloth thus the pocket name as it is effectively a pocket that you insert things into.

The absorbent part is a microfibre pad as such with popper fastenings on it to adjust the size, the nappy itself also adjust with poppers effectively all you do is fold it a little bit and popper it down, this means that the nappy can be used all the way from birth to potty training.  This means you only have to buy a bunch of these and not loads and loads of disposable nappies.

So you have your nappy shell (pocket bit) and you have stuffed your absorbent bit in through the gap at the back, then what???

Well its no different from using a disposable, it goes on and fastens in exactly the same way, job done everyone happy!!

Now for the performance bit, do they work, well surprisingly yes they do, I was a little shocked, ok so I knew the outer was waterproof so that should stop wetness coming through that bit, but I though it must come out somewhere else, how wrong was I, the absorbent bit works really well and soaks it all up.  As for the dirty stuff, not quite the same as changing a disposable as it doesn't all just go in the bin, but to be honest just 'flicking' it down the loo is no big deal, then just wrap it all up in itself and stick it in your nappy bin ready to be washed.

So there we go the first review from me, maybe not the best but a male perspective none the less, more to come soon.

And so it begins

Hi there, a quick introduction to me, my name is Cloth Nappy Dad and I am a thirty something year old Dad of one.  I am also a Dad that chooses to use without any fuss 'Cloth Nappies!!'.  From my travels around this big old internet researching and purchasing it became quite apparent that all of the cloth nappy information, support networks and forums were by and large directed at and used by women (that's why I just lurked or let my wife take part).  In-fact I do not think I came across any forum etc. where there was any kind of male presence.

Therefore in my wisdom (of which there is only a small amount) I have decided to tell my tale of being a Cloth Nappy using Dad, I will also be providing reviews from a male perspective on the cloth nappies that I have used both past, present and future.

Hopefully what I write will be of interest to you and you will choose to follow me, spread the word about me and maybe even get your husband to take a look (I'm assuming that if you are researching cloth nappies you are a woman) in the hope of convincing him that they are not all that bad.

*We have been using cloth nappies for a while now so the reviews will come thick and fast at first until I have reviewed everything we have here, then they will probably slow down to 'as and when we get something new' (which knowing my wife will be pretty regular)*